


The Meek Shall Inherit

by Jemisard



Category: Heroes (TV), Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Genre: Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-05
Updated: 2013-11-05
Packaged: 2017-12-31 14:11:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1032613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemisard/pseuds/Jemisard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Gabriel Gray hears his parents talking late one night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Meek Shall Inherit

"It's been over ten years."

Gabriel sat up, rubbing his eyes and slipping from his bed to creep over to the door.

"I don't understand, Martin." His mother's soft, child like voice carried well through the apartment.

"I'm just saying, it's been over ten years. Gabriel's nearly twelve, we've been living back in the city for nearly eleven years, maybe..."

Silence reached the door. Gabriel pressed himself closer to the gap. The conversation felt heavy with unspoken implications, but he didn't know what those implications were.

"Maybe?"

"Maybe we should consider moving back out to the country, Ginny. Back to who we were."

"You promised, Martin." He could hear the tremor of fear in Mom's voice. "You promised, we'd be in the city, where it's safe, where things don't grow."

"I don't think the city is a good place for our son. There's no community, he's having trouble with kids in the school, I'm worried about him."

"He's a good boy!"

Gabriel flinched, shame a hot heat that flushed his face and gut. He didn't mean to cause troubles for his parents, the other kids just didn't like him. Teased him because his dad was a watch maker with big glasses and little shoulders and his mom dressed like a 1950's housewife. He knew because she had magazines, stacks of _Better Living_ and House Wife that she loving thumbed through in the afternoons after school while the cookies baked.

"I know he is, Ginny!" Dad sounded earnest, but he was trying to keep his voice down. To not wake him up, Gabriel realised. He was meant to be asleep, not listening in on this.

Maybe he wasn't a good boy. A good boy wouldn't be eavesdropping.

"I know he is. He's just having troubles. And I think out of the city would be somewhere he'd have less troubles."

"You promised. No more green places, Martin."

"I said I'd get you out of places like this too. Somewhere nice, with a lawn and a picket fence and a kitchen you can bake all you want in..."

"No more green!"

Gabriel jerked with the suddenness of Mom's cry. It was pained and plaintive and _hurt_. He wanted to run out and hug her, promise her he'd do better, be better, not make them worry, but he was meant to be asleep, not on the floor with his ear to the door.

"It's for _Gabriel_ ," Dad said, voice plaintive. "It's for us."

"Is this because of Orin?"

There was another of those silences. Gabriel didn't know the name, but Mom said it with shame and Dad said nothing for too long.

"Of course not."

Gabriel didn't believe him. His voice sounded so heavy when he spoke.

"You said it didn't matter. It never mattered before."

"It doesn't matter. I love Gabriel. I love you and our son, I just think we should move back out to the country. Away from the city. Away from skid row and out where people are kinder."

"You're scared he'll become Orin."

"He just looks like him. It doesn't mean anything. I love you and I love Gabriel and I want the best for you both." There was a smack of a kiss but Gabriel was already moving back to bed, curling up on his side under the blankets and trying desperately to not think about what he had heard.

What it might _mean_ that he looked like someone called Orin.

His door creaked slightly as it was opened. He closed his eyes quickly, feigning sleep. He smelt the soft lavender of Mom's perfume as she came closer, her fingers brushing his hair back from his brow.

He wanted to open his eyes and see her face. Ask her what they meant, demand answers if he had to shake them from his timid parents' shoulders but he just screwed his eyes shut tighter and turned his face to the pillow.


End file.
